How to hire an instructional design consultant

How to hire an instructional design consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step instructional design consultant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an instructional design consultant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new instructional design consultant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an instructional design consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the instructional design consultant you need to hire. Certain instructional design consultant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An instructional design consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, instructional design consultants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of instructional design consultants.

   Type of Instructional Design Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Instructional Design Consultant	Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, coordinate its implementation with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.	$24-45
   Curriculum Writer	Curriculum writers are professionals who are responsible for developing new academic instructional materials, lessons, and activities to be used by teachers or instructional staff from school districts, media companies, and other businesses. These writers are required to conduct professional development sessions for all staff about the design and changes in the new curriculum... Show more	$16-45
   Curriculum Developer	A curriculum developer is responsible for managing instructional materials, providing recommendations to the teachers, and making adjustments to the current student's curriculum to adhere to the highest educational standards and policies. Curriculum developers also facilitate and offer assistance for any implemented procedures... Show more	$17-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Instructional Design
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • ELearning
   • Project Management
   • SMEs
   • Learning Solutions
   • Learning Management System
   • Curriculum Development
   • Addie
   • Articulate Storyline
   • Learning Objectives
   • Training Materials
   • SharePoint
   • Instructional Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage CBT and ILT course documents using SharePoint.
   • Manage a repository on SharePoint of all assign training modules and supporting documentation of recent updates and changes to material.
   • Develop and implement leader-led and online training programs, introducing new learning methods and growing eLearning market.
   • Create and facilitate effective wrap-around or stand-alone ILT curricula.
   • Create ILT participant and facilitator guide for Medicare open enrollment.
   • Consult SMEs when gathering information to design and develop effective training solutions.

   More instructional design consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your instructional design consultant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An instructional design consultant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, instructional design consultants' average salary in mississippi is 44% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level instructional design consultants 46% less than senior-level instructional design consultants.
   • Certifications. An instructional design consultant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an instructional design consultant's salary.

   Average instructional design consultant salary

   $70,045yearly

   $33.68 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level instructional design consultant salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average instructional design consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$92,366	$44
   2	New York	$83,377	$40
   3	California	$81,400	$39
   4	Illinois	$79,719	$38
   5	Michigan	$78,928	$38
   6	Virginia	$78,843	$38
   7	Massachusetts	$76,569	$37
   8	Minnesota	$76,181	$37
   9	Kansas	$73,149	$35
   10	Florida	$71,334	$34
   11	North Carolina	$70,751	$34
   12	Ohio	$66,862	$32
   13	Texas	$64,735	$31
   14	Utah	$63,202	$30
   15	Indiana	$54,558	$26

   Average instructional design consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Qualtrics	$102,263	$49.16
   2	Citrix	$93,716	$45.06
   3	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$88,551	$42.57	4
   4	Chevron	$86,895	$41.78
   5	Guidehouse	$82,244	$39.54	2
   6	Zurich	$81,303	$39.09	20
   7	Centric Consulting	$80,910	$38.90
   8	Health Alliance	$78,620	$37.80
   9	Henry Ford Health System	$76,035	$36.56
   10	Kaiser Permanente	$74,481	$35.81	10
   11	Solugenix	$73,994	$35.57
   12	IUPUI	$72,371	$34.79
   13	IntraHealth International	$70,263	$33.78
   14	Innovative Intelligent Solutions	$66,335	$31.89
   15	ADP	$63,133	$30.35	17
   16	JM Family Enterprises	$62,885	$30.23	2
   17	UnitedHealth Group	$60,717	$29.19
   18	Randstad North America, Inc.	$57,928	$27.85	4
   19	The Henry Ford	$53,870	$25.90

4. Writing an instructional design consultant job description

   An instructional design consultant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an instructional design consultant job description:

   Instructional design consultant job description example

   Irvine, CA
   
   12-month contract
   
   
   Solugenix is assisting a client, a prestigious and large investment management company in their search for a Senior Instructional Design Consultant - NAD. This is a 12-month contract opportunity based out of Irvine, CA.
   
   The Senior Instructional Design Consultant develops instructional materials for the Client training programs. The Designer demonstrates and utilizes effective needs analysis, project management, course development, and evaluation skills. The Designer independently develops entry- through advanced-level courses for both internal and external sales audiences; utilizes multimedia technology and authoring tools; and works independently on standardized/recurring assignments and under the direct supervision of more senior team members on complex projects, analyses, and tasks.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   + 5 years plus experience in instructional design and development with emphasis on e-learning and instructor-led training materials.
   
   + Bachelor's Degree in Education, Instructional Design, or related subject is required.
   
   + Must demonstrate an advanced understanding of the ADDIE model and adult learning.
   
   + Must demonstrate a superior understanding of training presentation models (instructor-led, distance learning, computer-based training, on-the-job training).
   
   + Must demonstrate experience in managing multiple training tasks.
   
   + Effective English communications, written, verbal, and in presentation.
   
   + Advanced skills with common e-Learning development software-Articulate 360 (Storyline 360 and Rise 360), Camtasia, Video Scribe, other authoring tools, web conferencing software, etc.
   
   + Preferred, but not required: video, audio, motion graphics knowledge; and intermediate to advanced graphic design skills.
   
   + Expert instructional design methodologies, adult learning principles, human behavior and performance, methods for curriculum and training design, and the measurement of training effectiveness.
   
   + In depth knowledge and understanding of adult learning theory and best practices in alternative methods of delivery including classroom, virtual classroom, and eLearning.
   
   + Experience with business technical areas such as financial services, retirement planning, advisory, insurance, intermediaries and/or similar.
   
   + Expert at using Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint), screen capture tools, and graphics/illustration software. Must be able to use existing templates and follow an established style guide.
   
   + Outstanding organizational skills, capable of multiple-tasking and prioritizes conflicting activities.
   
   + Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   + Design and develop learning materials for a variety of sales roles - Facilitator Guides, Participant Guides, PowerPoint presentations, Coaching Guides, Job Aids, and Audio/Video scripts.
   
   + Design and develop e-learning, blended learning, video, and webinar activities, from design outline, to storyboard to final published product.
   
   + Analyze input from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to create and modify instructional materials.
   
   About the Client
   
   Our client is an American financial services company. It ranks among the world's oldest and largest investment management organizations. They have offices globally.
   
   About Solugenix
   
   For over 50 years, Solugenix has been a global technology development and services firm with locations in California, Arizona, India, and the Dominican Republic. As a pioneer in Professional Staffing and IT Consulting, we have partnered with some of the biggest global corporations across many industries. Our history was built on a foundation of partnerships with global brands like McDonald's, Microsoft, CIT Group, Johnson & Johnson, Herbalife, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and many others who look to Solugenix to be their trusted partner in providing professional staffing, non-IT, and IT solutions.
   
   We live our core values in everything that we do, starting with "doing the right thing" for our employees/contractors and "committing to client success." This is a big part of how we continue to make lists like "2019 Forbes Small Giants". We also forge strategic partnerships with vendors and Corp-to-Corp candidates (C2C) that share our core values and encourage you to partner with us.
   
   In addition to generating ground-breaking, industry-defining solutions for our clients and our own projects, we partner with clients with whom we share core values and a common professional culture to help them find talent for their valuable opportunities. At Solugenix, we invest in the personal development and growth of every individual. While this is a position with one of our esteemed clients, Solugenix will continue to invest in your personal growth and development, providing you with a successful career as well as ensuring client success.
   
   External Company Name: Solugenix Corp
   
   Street: Irvine Center Drive
   
   Telecommute: No

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find instructional design consultants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any instructional design consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level instructional design consultants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your instructional design consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit instructional design consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit instructional design consultants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new instructional design consultant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the instructional design consultant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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